


Take Your Time

by edgarallenhoe



Series: Tales of the Legendary Artemis [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A little fluffy, Awkward Conversations, F/M, M/M, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-08 13:23:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4306686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edgarallenhoe/pseuds/edgarallenhoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neither Petra nor Bucky are very good at dealing with feelings, so when they develop what will the pair do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Feeling

Petra Howell had always been really good at hiding her emotions, but around Bucky Barnes it had become extraordinarily easy. He wasn’t a very emotional man, not anymore. He was stoic and seemed to loom in the background of every conversation and situation that he was involved in. Petra seemed to be picking up these traits around him, as whenever they were near each other she would close herself off. It wasn’t her fault, though; she just didn’t know any other way to deal with the storm brewing inside of her.

Since the day Bucky had basically forced Steve to let her join the Avengers, they had become inseparable. Sure, there wasn’t much conversation and there seemed to be few feelings other than that of quiet companionship, but they actually just really enjoyed each others’ company. No one really understood what Bucky had gone through, except for Petra who had seen it firsthand. Even Steve was having difficulties getting the brown-haired man to give him the time of day. Flashes of his old self showed themselves occasionally, but mostly he was who HYDRA had made him. He was essentially broken, and Petra couldn’t help herself. She was constantly helping him discover new things about twenty-first century American culture and how to live in today’s society. She found herself despairing when they weren’t together and rejoicing when they were, but she couldn’t really pinpoint why. Until one particular day, that is.

It was a normal day like any other. All of the newer Avengers (Vision, the Maximoff twins, Quinn Rosen, Bucky, and Petra) had gotten up to start their training. They were working on group cohesion. Steve and Natasha were whipping them into shape, trying to get them to focus and work better as a team. Bucky and Petra seemed to be very good at this. When they were working together, they absolutely dominated the others. They had gotten so used to silent cues and glances that they were like a well-oiled machine when they were fighting. Their harmony was so perfect that older Avengers often separated them. Today, it was Petra, Quinn, and Vision against Bucky and the Maximoffs.

“Stay still!” Petra growled at Pietro, who was currently whipping around her in an attempt to make her dizzy. She heard him laugh and felt her feet fly out from under her. She cursed as her back hit the ground and pulled out a taser disk. Crouching, she waited for him to make another pass at her. He didn’t disappoint, but this time Petra was ready for him. She somehow incredibly managed to snag his leg, and when he tried to shake her off she pushed the taser disk down. She quickly released him as he spasmed and fell to the floor. He groaned and rolled onto his back, but held his hands up in surrender.

Petra wasted no time in helping out the rest of her teammates once her opponent was down. Vision seemed to be doing well against Wanda; the younger twin was extremely powerful, yes, but Vision was even more so. Extending her metal staff, Petra rushed over to Quinn’s side. She and Bucky were fighting over control of his arm, and Bucky was angrily trying to shake off the smaller girl. Quinn was holding her own, though, dodging all of his blows and managing to hold his metal arm locked to his side with her powers. The gym they were in was huge, and Petra had almost reached them when she noticed Quinn slipping up. She was panting heavily and wildly jumping around, but she had left herself susceptible to a particularly wide swing from Bucky.

Before his fist could make contact with the dark-skinned girl, Petra threw herself between them. Since she was closer to him than Quinn had been, he wasn’t able to pull back the force of his punch in time for it to make a collision. He hit her in the gut, and she felt the wind get knocked out of her as she was thrown backward a few feet.

“What the hell, Petra!” came Bucky’s strangled cry as she lay on the ground groaning. She quickly propped herself up on her elbows in time to see Quinn throw Bucky, who had been looking at her fiercely, backwards onto the mats they were practicing on.

“Stay down!” Quinn shouted desperately at her metal-armed opponent. He seemed to comply, and Petra could see the rise and fall of his chest as he lay on his back staring at the ceiling. Quinn rushed back over to Petra and extended a hand, which Petra took gratefully. Quinn gave her a small nod and they both flung themselves into Wanda and Vision’s dispute. All three of them together quickly overpowered Wanda, who ended up on her knees, hands up in surrender.

“Great job, everyone,” Steve, who had been watching on the sidelines, said. They all made their way over to the super soldier and the red-haired assassin. Bucky was already over there, angrily flaring his nostrils and glaring at Petra. This was more emotion than he normally showed.

“What was that? You knew I wouldn’t be able to pull that back,” he snapped at her as she approached him. She was startled; why was Bucky so mad at her for this?

“Quinn was more important than me. If you had taken her out, there was no way I could’ve beaten you alone, and Vision was a little preoccupied,” she explained.

“What if this had been a real fight? Would you have just needlessly sacrificed yourself? What if I had had a knife, or a gun?” Bucky was shouting now, and Petra was downright furious at the man.

“This wasn’t a real fight, and you didn’t have a knife! And even if it was and you had, I would have done the same damn thing!” Confusion was added to his anger, and Petra just kept going. “Quinn is more important than me. If I die, my skills are easily replaceable. If Quinn dies, no one else can do what she does. In every scenario, I am expendable.”

It was completely silent in the room. Petra noticed Pietro wrapping an arm around Quinn’s waist. Quinn herself was looking down at the floor and biting her lip.

“What you did was-”

“Reckless? Irresponsible? I don’t think so. I have no special abilities. I’m hardly any more skilled than the average SHIELD or HYDRA agent. Look around. Super soldier, super soldier, assassin trained since childhood, super speed, telekinetic, telekinetic with telepathy, and an android with a gem in him powerful enough to destroy worlds. You can all take care of yourselves, but if there comes a time when you can’t I’ll be there to stop the bullet. This isn’t self-deprecating or anything. It’s a fact.” No one said anything as Petra finished her little speech. She took that as training was over for the day, turned on her heel, and left. She heard quiet murmuring as she left the gym.

After showering and changing her clothes, Petra flopped face-first onto her bed. Why had Bucky gotten so angry with her? Everything she had said was true; she wasn’t anything special and she couldn’t do the things the rest of the team could do. She had joined up because of him, and now he was getting mad that she was doing her job. She groaned frustratedly. Why was she even here?

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Petra stood and wandered over, wondering who it could be. Bucky never disturbed her in her own room, and none of the other Avengers came up to their floor. She opened the door and found Quinn standing outside looking a bit sheepish.

“Hi, um… I was hoping we could talk,” she stuttered, turning a bit red. Petra could tell she was nervous around her.

“I won’t bite,” she sighed, raising an eyebrow at the shorter girl. That just made her blush deeper.

“I’m sorry, I just… I know how hard it is. To be new.”

“How could you possibly know what I’m feeling right now?” Petra asked, her eyes blank and her expression giving nothing away.

“Well, I would if you would tell me. You’re part of this team, now, like it or not. We all have to look out for each other.” Quinn’s had a pleading expression on her face as she looked into Petra’s eyes.

“I can look out for myself just fine,” Petra said, starting to close the door in Quinn’s face.

“Wait! Just hear me out!” she cried. Petra stopped in her tracks and pulled the door open a bit. She reluctantly resigned herself to listening when she saw the determined look on the telekinetic’s face.

“Okay. Talk.” Quinn’s expression said that she hadn’t thought that would work. 

“How about I buy you dinner?” Quinn asked, her entire face now lit up. Petra sighed but nodded, allowing the other girl to pull her arm along into the elevator. They ended up at an Italian restaurant down the street, and had ordered when Quinn finally got to the meat of the conversation.

“About what happened today…” she began, “I just want to start by thanking you. You’re immensely brave and a better person than you think you are. You said you didn’t think you were a valuable member of the team, but I think you’re more important than you realize. You’re tough. You get right back up when you get hit, but when I do I’m down for the count. And the way Bucky reacted was crazy. I’ve never seen him show that much emotion over anything, not even Steve. If nothing else, he needs you here. I think you keep him grounded.”

“I really don’t know what to say,” Petra said. Her face was blank. She didn’t know how to respond to something like this.

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know how important you are. You’re my… friend,” Quinn finished. Petra’s heart swelled in her chest. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had called her a friend. Her mouth was hanging open slightly and Quinn let out a little chuckle.

“I suppose you’re my friend, too,” Petra said, letting a small smile grace her features. Quinn beamed at her as their food finally arrived. They finished and went back home to the Stark Tower. Petra still wasn’t super comfortable making small talk, but Quinn didn’t press her. As Quinn was getting out of the elevator, she turned back to Petra.

“One last thing, you should probably talk to Bucky,” she said, smiling like someone who knew too much. Petra just raised her hand in goodbye and watched Quinn walk off as the doors closed. Steeling herself, she went straight to Bucky’s door when she got out of the elevator. She took a deep breath and knocked hard three times. The door creaked open and Bucky stood before her, shirtless and disheveled.

“Petra,” he breathed when he saw her. She didn’t have time for pleasantries; she just dove right in.

“What I did was stupid. I know there were other ways to save her. I was reckless and I wasn’t thinking about what would happen if I left. I wasn’t thinking about you. We’re in this together, just like you said, but I lost sight of that. I want to be here for you, and I can’t do that if I’m dead,” she said, looking down at the floor. She felt a hand on her chin as Bucky lifted up her face to look her in the eyes.

“You mean so much to me. I know I don’t say much and it probably doesn’t seem like it, but I… I care for you, Petra,” he said with conviction. Suddenly, his face was getting closer and closer to her own. Her breathing was ragged and her eyes were wide. What was happening?

She was absolutely frozen as his lips brushed over her’s. They were chapped and dry, but they were his and she felt something stirring in the pit of her stomach. Every time she was sad when he left her, every time she silently cheered when he would come back, every time he would brush her arm with his hand or place it on her shoulder, she had had this ghost of a feeling, but now she could feel the brunt of it. Just as she was about to shut her eyes and kiss him back, he pulled away.

“Goodnight,” he said hurriedly as she stood in the doorway looking stunned. He shut his door in her face. She stood there trying to process what had just happened. Bucky Barnes had just kissed her, and she had enjoyed it. But she had made it weird by not reciprocating. She groaned. Why did everything have to be so confusing?


	2. A Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra and Bucky struggle to work out their feelings for each other. Both get a nudge from their new (and old) friends.

“Bucky, open up! We need to talk!” Petra was pounding on the cyborg’s door trying to get him to open his doors. Moments ago, he had kissed her, but she wasn’t going to wait around to find out why. She had been hammering on the wooden door for a minute or so before he finally answered. He cracked open the door so she could see his face but said nothing.

“Oh, you actually answered,” Petra said, fist still poised to knock. He just gave her a look that said to get on with it. She could see the discomfort in his eyes. “What the hell was that, Bucky?”

“Well,” he began, “It’s something the old Bucky would’ve done.”

“And? I’m a big girl Buck, I can take it.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry it happened. I used to have women throwing themselves at me. I was a soldier, and all the gals wanted a piece of me,” he smirked a bit and raked his fingers through his dark brown hair.

“Well, I definitely wasn’t throwing myself at you. In fact, I’m pretty sure you kissed me. Not that I’m complaining.”

“Look,” he swallowed and opened the door a bit wider, “The point is: I didn’t mean to do it. Sometimes… I think I’m how I used to be. But then I remember that the old me is dead. This wasn’t supposed to happen, I’m so sorry Petra.”

Petra let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She could feel the energy draining from her body, but thankfully her voice and her movements didn’t betray her.

“That’s all I needed to hear. I didn’t want this to affect us, and I’m glad to see that it won’t. Can’t say I’m not a little disappointed, though,” Petra said, “A distraction might’ve been nice.”

Bucky stared at her, a bit dumbfounded.

“See you tomorrow, then?” she asked. He nodded and watched as she turned around and walked to her room. She heard him sigh as he shut his door. Flopping face-first onto her bed, she slightly hoped that she just wouldn’t wake up tomorrow. Were feelings supposed to make you feel this poorly? Well, when they’re not reciprocated they were, Petra thought bitterly. She and Bucky had had an understanding. They respected each other. Had she read too much into it?

Petra tossed and turned that night. She usually didn’t let thoughts nibble at her like this, but she couldn’t shake off the fact that Bucky didn’t feel what she felt. She tried to push the thoughts out of her head as her pulled herself out of bed the next morning. It was a rest day; Steve and Natasha had given them a break from training, and there were no missions to be had. Petra herself had never actually been on a real mission for the team, but then again neither had Bucky. Every thought she had seemed to trail back to him as she showered and pulled clothes on.

She was sitting in the little kitchenette she shared with Bucky when the elevator dinged and Quinn stepped out. Quinn was positively beaming, and the Maximoff twins were trailing behind her like little ducklings.

“Hey Petra! We were just wondering if you wanted to go out today?” Quinn chirped as she approached the brunette. Petra eyed her up and down. She was far too cheery in the morning.

“What do you mean by ‘go out?’” Petra asked warily. Pietro huffed out a laugh. He didn’t look like he was fully awake either.

“Well, I just thought we could go shop for some new clothes for you and then get lunch. No offense, but your wardrobe seems a bit… sparse.” Quinn looked a bit sheepish at the comment she had just made, and Petra could see the tips of her ears turning red. The girl had a penchant for blushing, that’s for sure. She started toying with a ring on her finger as she watched Petra chew her cereal thoughtfully.

“I suppose,” Petra sighed, shrugging. The twins and the telekinetic waited patiently, murmuring amongst themselves until Petra was finished. When they got in the elevator, Petra noticed Pietro lacing his fingers through Quinn’s.

“So, how long have you two been together?” she asked. It had taken her a few moments to build up the courage, and Quinn looked positively startled at the interaction.

“Over a year now. It’s been crazy,” Quinn said, smiling at the silver-haired man next to her. Petra noticed the squeeze Pietro gave her hand, and she felt a pang of jealousy hit her. 

“Well, I’m crazy for you,” Pietro said, smirking.

“That was so terrible! Too cheesy even for you, Pietro,” Quinn laughed. They were giggling like two teenagers in love. Wanda looked over at Petra and just gave her an “I know, right?” look that made her crack a small smile. There wasn’t much more chatter as the group made their way out of the building and down the street. They stopped in various stores to look for clothes for Petra.

In one of the many stores they popped into, Pietro and Quinn wandered off to search another section, leaving Wanda and Petra alone.

“So,” Wanda said as she glanced through the racks of clothing in front of them.

“So what?” Petra asked curiously. She started to look for something that she might wear.

“You and the metal-armed man spend a great deal of time together.”

“Well, I did swear to protect him. I can’t exactly do that at a distance.” Petra looked up from the clothing racks and stared at the smaller girl. Wanda didn’t look up as she pawed through the shirts, but instead continued speaking.

“Sometimes protecting someone is done best at a distance,” she murmured.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“It is not important. You and Bucky, you have an understanding, no? You are both quiet people. You both go about your quiet lives. You are two planets in orbit, but you have different paths. You will never collide, it seems.”

“Why do you care so much?” Petra spat defensively. She was a little weirded out by the witch’s line of conversation.

“You know, Quinn and my brother were not always this way,” Wanda said, seemingly ignoring Petra, “In the beginning, they hated each other. It took them many weeks to learn to bear each other’s company and many more for them to finally love each other.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Wanda finally looked up at Petra, her gaze piercing.

“If they had not waited, they would have been much happier much sooner. They were fools,” Wanda said, her voice low, “What I am saying to you now is: don’t be a fool.”

“What? But how-” Petra started to ask.

“I do not need to read your mind to know how you are feeling. You and Bucky are good for each other. I want you both to be happy,” Wanda said, returning to looking at the clothes in front of her. She pulled out a brown leather jacket and held it up. “I think you will look good in this.”

Wanda’s sudden change of topic threw Petra off, but she accepted the more pleasant track. She didn’t press Wanda anymore about how she knew what was going on or why she was interested, and Wanda didn’t bring it up. Instead, they fretted over the cost of the jacket and discussed the team’s upcoming celebratory dinner for a mission that had gone over well with the press and the general public. Pietro and Quinn came back eventually, and the rest of the day passed without incident.

Meanwhile, Bucky, Steve, and Sam Wilson were sitting quietly in a pub a few blocks away. Sam had said it was a good idea to get out of the tower and grab a decent meal somewhere, and Steve had agreed wholeheartedly. They dragged Bucky along because they thought he needed to get out more, which was true. He spent most of his days wandering around the tower, only leaving to go for runs.

“So, what’s new?” Steve asked as they all sat around and waited for their food. Bucky quietly sipped his beer.

“Nothin’ much since the last time we saw each other. Outside of the Avengers, my life isn’t that interesting,” Sam said, smirking at the larger blond man. Steve chuckled and turned to Bucky.

“Anything new with you, Buck?” he asked. His eyes were filled with concern. Bucky knew he just wanted things to be the way they had been in the 40’s, but he wasn’t that person anymore. Neither of them were. He tried to make an effort, though. He talked to Steve more than anyone.

“I kissed Petra last night,” he blurted out. He had been so deep in thought about his relationship with Steve that his filter had momentarily disappeared. The other two men just stared at him.

“For a second, I thought he said Pietro. That would’ve been a mess,” Sam joked. Bucky let out a weak laugh as he stared at his hands atop the table.

“Bucky…” Steve began, “What happened?”

Bucky didn’t want to answer Steve. He hadn’t wanted to go down this path at all, let alone with his best friend. He didn’t want to hear the concern and disappointment in Steve’s voice when he would have to tell him what happened.

“I kissed her. She didn’t kiss me back. I made up some excuse about it being me from the past. She left.”

“Well, never thought I’d be better with women,” Steve snorted. Bucky’s head shot up. Steve was taking this differently than he had anticipated.

“We all have off days,” Sam threw in, laughing at Bucky’s expense. Steve joined in, and Bucky’s brow furrowed.

“What the hell, guys?” he asked angrily, pounding his human fist on the table.  
“Bucky, I wouldn’t worry too much,” Steve said, sobering up, “You and Petra are… good for each other. I’m sure you just threw her off. I mean, have you met her? If she hadn’t wanted you to kiss her she would’ve punched you. She didn’t, did she?”

Bucky shook his head at his friends. They were taking this so lightly. Why did they seem to have insight that Bucky didn’t?

“What do you two know that I don’t?” he demanded.

“I never thought I’d have to give you relationship advice, but here it goes: you can’t help who you fall in love with, but sometimes it’s just more obvious to the people around you than it is to you,” Steve said. He glanced at Sam while he said it, and Sam looked right back at him. “I actually have something to tell you. It’s relevant, I promise.”

“Don’t worry, I already know,” Bucky said. He had pretty easily picked up on Sam and Steve’s vibe when they were together. They worked incredibly well together, and Bucky knew it transcended simple friendship.

“You already know? How? Five seconds ago, you couldn’t even tell a girl was interested anymore.” Steve looked shocked.

“Remember when I met Peggy? You had this look in your eyes when you introduced me. I knew she was your gal before you even said anything. You get that same look when you talk about him,” Bucky said matter-of-factly, nodding his head in Sam’s direction.

“Cat’s out of the bag, then,” Steve laughed. He laid his hand on top of Sam’s, which had been sitting on the table. They grinned at each other, and Bucky felt a pang in his gut. He wanted something like this; he wanted something tangible, an anchor to reality in this half-life he was living. The rest of the meal passed without any mentions of relationships or incidents.

Petra got back to the tower after Bucky did. She found him sitting at the kitchen counter staring at a beer bottle intently. He actually looked startled when she walked in. He must’ve been deep in thought.

“Petra. We need to talk. About last night.” He stood, looking a bit nervous, and Petra was curious as to why. He had made himself abundantly clear, hadn’t he?

“What about it?” she queried, adjusting the many shopping bags she was carrying.

“I meant what I said before the kiss. Everything after it was… nonsense.” He looked like he wanted to run his fingers through his hair, but it was tucked back into a neat ponytail. “I want to try this. I… care for you. I do.”

Petra couldn’t breathe. She had been planning out just how to tell Bucky that she had real feelings for him, but here he was confessing his to her. She was absolutely floored by this. She had thought the metal-armed man didn’t feel the exact same way about her.

“Bucky…” she whispered, her lips just barely parting. She swallowed and gripped the bags in her hands tightly.

“Look, if you don’t feel the same, just forget I said anything. I just thought…” 

“You thought correctly,” Petra declared. The defeated look on Bucky’s face had solidified her resolve, and she dropped the bags at her feet. Striding over to Bucky, she took his face in her hands and kissed him. It was short, but the feelings in it were very present. She felt him gently place his hands on her waist, but he didn’t deepen the kiss. It was chaste. The heat in it wasn’t a forest fire but a flickering candle. They found comfort through each others’ lips, which were pressed together so delicately and so beautifully. Moments later, they parted.

“I could get used to this,” Bucky said, grinning down at the woman in his arms. Petra laughed a bit, delighted to see a real smile on his face. She couldn’t believe this was happening. A day ago, she would never have even thought of being in a real relationship with anyone let alone James Buchanan Barnes, but here she was. And she wouldn’t want it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems a little unrealistic to me that all of the Avengers would be in relationships with each other, but on the other hand they're all beautiful so I can't imagine that they wouldn't all be in relationships with each other. I am Marvel trash, this is my life now. Thanks for reading.


End file.
